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The Adventurer's Gear Thread

BellyTank

I'll Lock Up
Sahariana. Want one?

There are Italian "WW2 style" Sahariana jacket/shirts for sale at
www.hessenantique.com

The item:
http://www.hessenantique.com/Italian_Sahariana_Tunic_p/haco007.htm

Hessen is a US based reenactor supply vendor, who specializes in German gear.
These are a one-off, close out- movie costume pieces, unused and only in size 40 chest, $75.

I have this Sahariana and am very pleased with it- the fit is an excellent vintage fit, with high-cut armholes, skinny sleeves and a generally impressive, close fit. The colour is a good khaki and the cloth is a slightly brushed cotton drill/twill.
If you're a s40, or a marginal 42, it would be a good buy if you like it.

But they are sold as "costume pieces"- maybe this is why the buttonholes on mine don't appear to have the usual bound buttonhole stitch. Upon closer inspection, it needs a couple of stitches here and there, if I'm going to wear it in an active way- not aproblem as far as I'm concerned- You don't see tese available very often and the usual reenactor vendor ones are rubbish- even if the detailing is a little more WW2 correct- the fit and proportion is all wrong. Also, the buttons are not as originals and the epaulet buttons are the metal, pebbled, Geman variety. Thes details may differ from piece to piece, however. I will change the buttons on mine.

As far as authenticity goes- this jacket is all but identical to an original I have, which has been identified as post-war, or wartime manufacture but not issued during the War. Examples such as my original are however, frequently sold on eBay, as WW2 pieces. Nevertheless, it's a classic piece of stylish khaki-wear.

I recommend this Sahariana to those who like it.
It looks brilliant and the fit is perfect.

But my choices sometimes include items for reference or for use as patterns, resource material, etc., rather than for immediate wear. I am different in this respect.

(I also bought the Pantaloons but the cut of them seems to be confused with another garment- too short in the leg- only reaching the knee- they do not function as the original would)

Originals of this style appear on eBay regularly, from an Italian vendor but in small sizes- they go for around $100+

Here is mine from Hessen Antique:

H_Sahariana_Front.jpg


H_Sahariana_Back.jpg


H_Sahariana_Close.jpg


H_Sahariana_Cloth.jpg


I had to share.


B
T
 

BellyTank

I'll Lock Up
Yes, it's a feature of a Sahariana- although, strictly speaking, from an Italian perspective, a "Sahariana" is a Bush Jacket(or even a military jacket with pockets- or nowadays, a non military jacket, or in French- Saharienne, which is an even looser term).


But talking ABOUT Italian uniforms, this is a "Sahariana", although there are also others without the front and rear caped yoke... pullover ones, without the yokes- "Camiciotto Sahariane" but then there are also button-through versions... Come to think of it, I've seen a pullover one with caped yokes.
Italian paratroops in WW2 had collarless versions(senza colletto), (V-neck closure, rather than a band collar).

Hmmm... This is difficult to explain.

In my eyes, this is a classic "Sahariana" and the caped yoke IS a feature of it.

The term; Sahariana, would, I guess come from Italy's pre-WW2 Colonial African exploits.


B
T
 

anglophile

One of the Regulars
Messages
111
Location
Chester,UK/Memphis
Reading this thread has really made me excited for my upcoming trip to South America. I'm going to Chile, back to Peru, and Easter Island.

No fedora but I am bring a panama.Nothing special, just a cheap Bailey Gibson with a back hatband.
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
BellyTank said:
Italian "WW2 style" Sahariana jacket/shirts for sale [...]

I had to share.

B
T

Great shape to it, with the deep pockets accentuating the waist and belying its being a relatively short garment.

Nice looking fabric, too. Do you know/have you guessed the weight?
 

Kodiak

A-List Customer
Messages
315
Location
KY/DC
BT- why the huge buttons on that first pic? All nice looking jackets, I especially like the pullover style of that one with the enormous buttons, and I've always been a fan of the scalloped pockets.

Dr. Trinidad- Try looking at primitive reenacting/camping websites. Panther Primitives has something along the lines of what I think you're looking for, although I don't know if they have a website. If you look hard enough, there's probably somebody making what you want out here on the World Wide Web.

Dave- buy one of those metal water bottle/canteeny things from SIGG, the Swiss company (I think it's Swiss...). Mine is kinda kidney shaped, came with a metal pot/cup that can be used to boil water. It's very nice, doesn't rattle like you might think it would.
 

Kodiak

A-List Customer
Messages
315
Location
KY/DC
To BT- The reasons why not

They'd be terribly hard to fit through the holes unless the holes were made insanely large, and regardless they would hurt the throat when you move your neck, like a collar that fits too tightly. They would also get caught on things when moving through dense brush.

Simply don't look very practical to me.
 

carebear

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,220
Location
Anchorage, AK
BellyTank said:
Yes, they definitely had the style-edge over the other war-losers...
well, most of them.


B
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I only mean that half jokingly. The Italians, the more I'ved learned about them, win the prize for troops ill-served by their leadership.

The commando raid on the British Navy in Egypt was a masterpiece.
 

Trotsky

A-List Customer
Messages
421
Adventuring is never easy, especially when there's a war on!

DSCF1211.jpg


This is our 1940 Desert display we did in early June.
 

BellyTank

I'll Lock Up
Jerekson said:
I thought this was sort of cool looking.

9142.jpg

The BAG is cool but the print has transformed it into "Streetwear".

I've seen so much useful vintage surplus turned into "Streetwear", with the addition of red stars, prison numbers, etc. One of my favourite surplus stores, in Copenhagen seemed to take their whole stock of European vintage military clothing and give it this treatment- rendering it useless for my purposes.


B
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